Gas generator



Dec. 14, 1948.

W. M. BUEHL ET AL GAS GENERATOR Filed June 28 1944 2 1- -WATER LEVEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS.

WALTER M. BUEHL CLARK B. SHEPHERD A TTORNEV Dec. 14, 1948.]

W. M. BUEHL ET AL GAS GENERATOR BuSheetS-Sheet 2 Filed June 28, 1944 FIG. 4

FIG 2.

IN VEN TOR S.

BUEHL contact with a solid gas generating material.

Patented Dec. 14:, 1948 GAS GENERATOR Walter M. 'Buehl and Clark B. Shepherd, Niagara v Falls,--N. Y., assignors to E. I. du -Pont de Nemours & Company, Wilmington, Del., a cor- Y :poration of Delaware Application June 28, 1944, Serial No. 542,582

This invention relates to gas generators and, more particularly, to portable gas generators for the purpose of generating gas by the reaction of a solidchemical material with Water. I '"An' object of our invention isto provide an improved portable generator of thetype which is operated by partially immersing the generator in abody of water "so that water rises into the lowerp'ortion of the generator where it comes in A further object'is to provide an improved gas generator of the type mentioned above having a replaceable container for the gas generating material. Another object is to provide means for washing and cooling'the generated gas by contact with the water in which-the generator is immersed. Another object is to provide a generator of this type which is of lightweight and compact design. Still other objects -willbe apparent from the following description of our'invention.

Theappended drawings show one form of our invention. Figure 1 is avertical section of the generator loaded with solid gas generatingmaterial. Figure 2 is avertical section of the container I2 for the solid gas generating material loaded for shipment or storage prior to use. Figure 3 is a plan view at plane AA of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a plan view at plane 13 of Figure 2, showing the bottom of the container I2.

With reference to Figure 1, the generator has a cylindrical gas collector I, which is a sheet metal shell provided with peripheral reinforcing heads 2. Collector I is open at the bottom and provided with a cover 3 at the top. Threaded bushing 4 is provided in cover 3 and is adapted to receive the threaded gas outlet pipe 5. Inside collector I and at about the midpoint thereof is located a circular horizontal partition 6 which is fastened to the sidewalls of collector I. Partition 6 is provided with a series of holes I near the periphery, as also shown-in Figure 3, and with a pipe nipple 8 fastened to the lower side of the partition. Nipple 8 is provided with a series of holes 9. A cylindrical bafile I is fastened to and depends from partition 6, extending downward to a point a short distance above the bottom of collector I. The bottom edge of bafile I!) is provided with serrations II.

The cartridge or container I2 for the gas generating material, also illustrated by Figures 2 I and 4, is a cylindrical can, the top of which is provided with a threaded bushing I3 adapted to screw on to the threaded nipple 8. The bottom of container I2 is a sheet metal disc provided with four raised beads I4, which are also shown in 2 Claims. (Cl. 23I282)f I 2 Figure 4, and a hole I5 in the center. Figure 2 shows container I2 loaded and sealed for storage and shipment prior to use. Hole I5 is covered by a readily detachable sheet metal tear strip I6, also shown in Figure 4, which is soldered in place to form a hermetic seal. The opening at the top of the can is sealed by screw plug I i which screws into the bushing I3. The solid gas generating material is in the form of cylindrical cakes I8 which rest upon the raised beads I4 and are smaller in diameter than the can so as to leave a free space around the cakes. The cakes I8 are held in position so as to prevent breakage during shipment by means of the retaining plate I9 which is pressed down against the cakes by spring 20. I To use the generator described above, plug IT is removed from container I2, and the latter is screwed on to the threaded nipple 8, as shown in Figure 1. Tear strip I6 is then pulled off so as to open hole I5; and the entire apparatus then is immersed in water to a suitable depth, preferably to a short distance below the top of collector I; for example, as shown by the legend Water level in Figure 1. The water passes through hole I5 and rises inside container I2 into contact with the gas generating material therein. The gas produced by the chemical reaction between the water and the gas generating material passes out through holes 9 and thence downwardly through the annular space between container I2 and the cylindrical baflle I0. Thence the gas passes out through the serrations around the bottom of bafiie I0 and upwardly through the annular space between bafiie Ii] and the inside of collector I and thence out through the gas outlet pipe 5. The water level inside the generator will be even with, or somewhat lower than, the water level on the outside, depending upon the back pressure in pipe 5. In most uses of the generator the water level inside the generator for the most part will be above partition 6. Thus the gas passing from the bottom of bafile it rises through water on its travel to pipe 5 and thereby is thoroughly washed and cooled by the water.

The water on the outside of the generator also aids in cooling the gas by reason of the rapid heat transfer through the sidewalls of collector I between the inside water and the outside water.

Our invention is not restricted to the particular form illustrated by the drawings and described above. Various changes in the construction thereof may be made by those skilled in the art without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, while we have i1- lustrated the invention as being constructed of relatively thin sheet metal, which is the preferred form, other modes of construction which will be apparent to the skilled engineer may be utilized. Likewise, various conventional means for detachably fastening container l2 to the interior of bailie ID may be used in place of the particular device shown in the drawings. If desired, other gas outlet openings, with suitable closures therefor, may be provided in the upper portion of container l2, in place of, or in addition to, the opening provided by bushing 13. The serrations around the bottom of baffle I!) are not essential,

but are preferred for better distribution of gas around the bafile;

The generator is generally useful for generating gas from any solid material which reacts with water or other liquid to produce a gas. It was designed especially to generate hydrogen by reacting sodium hydride with water and is excellently adapted to that purpose. While it is preferred for convenience to pack the container with one or more cakes of solid gas generating material, various other forms of the gas generating material may be used with good results; for example, granules, pellets, or the like.

We claim:

1. .A portable gasgenerator of the type adapted to generate gas by chemical reaction between water and a solid gas generating material when the generator is partly immersed in water, which comprises a gas collector which is essentially a hollow shell open at the bottom and having an opening to serve as a as outlet at the top, a cylindrical *bafiie which is a cylindrical hollow shell closed at the top and open at the bottom mounted inside said shell in the lower portion thereof, the bottom edge of said bafile being located a short distance above the bottom edge of said shell, the bottom edge of said bafile being serrated, the portion of said shell above said bafile forming a chamber which is connected by passageways with said lower portion, and a cylindrical container for gas generating material provided with fastening means for detachably mounting it inside and concentric with said cylindrical b'aflle and spaced from the top and sidewall thereof, the bottom of said container being substantially flush with the bottom of said shell, an opening in the bottom of said container provided with a readily detachable closure and an opening in the top of said container likewise adapted to be provided with readily detachable closure means for use when the container is disassembled from the bafile.

2. A portable gas generator comprising a container for gas generating material, said container having openings in its lower and upper portions,

an enveloping gas baffle which is open at the bottom and closed at the top and which partially envelops said container when the latter is fixed therein so as to form a passageway leading downwardly from an opening in the top of said container through a space between the outside of said container and the inside of said baffle, fastening means for detachably fixing said'container Within said bafile, a hollow shell serving as gas collector fastened to said baffle so as tocompletely envelop and extend above and below said baflie, said shell having openings located both above the top of said baffle and below the bottom thereof.

WALTER M. BUEHL, CLARK B.- SHEPHERD.

REFERENCES CITED .The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 705,570 Foldkamp July 29, 1902 726,139 Busch Apr. 21, 1903 834,831 Margreth Oct. 30, 1906 1,016,681 Fallot Feb. 6, 1912 1,049,034 Armstrong Dec. 31, 1912 1,684,979 Valantour Sept. 18, :1928 2,211,430 Ness Aug. 13, 1940 2,334,211 Miller Nov. 16, 1943 

